Of love and friendship
by Dora Lupin
Summary: Bella loses something important.
1. Chapter 1

**Of love and friendship**

**About:** Bella loses something important.  
**Ship: **Edward/Bella  
**Genre: **Fluffy  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Author notes:** This started out as a one-shot, but I realised there was too much I wanted to discuss that wouldn't really fit into one chapter. SO. This will be a multi chapter piece, though not really getting into huge numbers. It's my first go at Twilight fiction, and the first piece of writing that I've actually liked for quite a while. Comments, suggestions and general fandom stuff would be appreciated! I'd like to know if people are reading it! OH, and thanks to the wonderful Edely for giving me her opinion on this first :D  
**Disclaimer: **I'm not Stephanie Meyer. I don't own the series. I don't want to get sued. Just a random fan-girl who likes Edward _and_ Jacob.

**Chapter One: Win-Win**

"_I go, and it is done; the bell invites me."_

_--From Macbeth _

How could I have let this happen? I had destroyed one of the most important things in my life, and all I could do was stand in shock, slightly taken aback at the sight before me. My friend, who had helped me get through so much over the past few months, had been reduced to _this_ – a complete wreck. Remorse, guilt and the overwhelming need to punch something was taking over, but I had to look on the bright side; there had to be away around this stupid, and downright unfair, accident. It _was_ an accident, I reminded myself, and I needed to be thankful that the only real victim in it was my beloved, and supposedly indestructible, truck.

My beloved truck was wrapped around a tree, and for the first time in my life I actually understood that ridiculous saying. How on earth could a truck get 'wrapped around a tree' anyway? The scene before me answered that question. It was in pieces; the tree also looked like it was on its last limb and apparently it was one of the 'famous' landmarks in the town – way to add the guilt, officer.

"I told you, I'm alright," I said as Charlie tugged me towards his car, shooting a furtive glance at the large gash above my eye.

All I cared about was making sure my truck was alright – I couldn't survive without it. The last thing I wanted was for a big deal to be made out of this and a trip to the local hospital – the news would reach Edward a lot faster than I would have liked with a trip to Carlisle. It simply wasn't necessary!

"Dad, _really,_" I urged, but he continued to swerve through the traffic. "The truck took most of it," I added, somewhat guiltily as I turned my attention to the green outside. At least he wasn't putting the sirens on.

I knew it wasn't all that serious when I wasn't the first one to be seen, but it didn't take Carlisle long to finish up with his previous patient. Charlie had decided to wait outside, which I appreciated, seeing as he was still tense about my involvement with Edward and the rest of the Cullens.

"I've been thinking," Carlisle said, an amused expression flicking across his bed, "that we should really consider reserving you a bed." _Hilarious_. Why did people – especially those of the vampire persuasion – feel the need to keep commenting on my complete lack of coordination and/or ability to attract trouble?

"It was the tree's fault," I argued feebly.

"Ah, now that makes sense," he grinned as he cleaned the wound.

"Really, I'm fine, and it's not something that needs mentioning," I hinted, though I had obviously spoken too soon.

"Where is she?"

That beautiful, musical voice .. panic-stricken. I frowned, and my cut took that as an incentive to bleed more fervently. The pain was finally kicking in, which I supposed was down to the lack of adrenaline pumping in my system, but who needed adrenaline when you had _him_?

The door swung open to reveal the Edward, closely followed by Emmett. I hated seeing him so worried and flustered, especially when I was the reason for it. The way he tensed slightly at the glimpse – and scent – of my blood made me feel even worse. It was first time I realised that I was actually bleeding strongly as I had been so worried about the truck, and too busy arguing with dad that I was fine, when really .. well, I wasn't. The nausea didn't take long to come over me, and as I felt my balance deciding to take a wander into someone else's conscious mind, I felt two strong hands grab me at the side and ease me backwards onto the bed.

There was faint mumblings somewhere that seemed a distant away, but I didn't want to listen to them when there was someone making the pain in my head worse. I tried to flinch and pull away, but whoever was holding me down had strength that surpassed the normal eighteen year old girl; a far from athletic girl wasn't going to be a problem. I didn't like this in the slightest; I wanted to wake up and follow that lovely voice muttering the lines of Romeo and Juliet.

" .. my truck."

There were faint chuckles around me.

"Don't worry about that thing," Edward said, relief coating his tone. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"The tree .. stupid tree .." I mumbled. "All green .. and tall …"

"And historical?" Emmett grinned, though it sounded as if he had received a quick jab in the side off someone.

" .. and in the way," I concluded.

"She needs some rest," Carlisle instructed. "You can all see her in a few hours, when the painkillers have kicked in and she's a little more coherent."

I was coherent! At least in my head – it wasn't my fault my mouth had decided to go all funny on me. The hand that was gripping my softly did not move, though. Instead I heard the scraping on the floor as he pulled the chair closer, placing a kiss to my palm as he took the seat.

"I'm really alright," I said to him, opening my eyes slowly as if to get my bearing.

"Because people faint when they're fine?"

"I'm just a little blood .."

"Phobic?" he offered, and there was certainly evidence of a grin on those perfect lips of his. It had vanished as soon as it had arrived, and he fixed me with a look of concern as his gaze wandered from the bandage and the rest of my body.

"Are you sure you're not in any pain? I saw the truck," he said, and for first time I saw him show some concern for my reliable buddy.

"You're lucky, you know. The tree on the other hand." He sighed. "What happened?"

Ergh. Did I really have to go through this now? Couldn't I just blame the tree and be done with it? Apparently not, at least from Edward's questioning eyes.

"I was driving," I began, which caused him to quirk his brow sarcastically. "_Obviously,_" I corrected. "It was raining – which I'm aware, it does a lot and I don't need the sarcasm. There was something – some_one _– on the road. I swerved to miss them and managed to wreck an indestructible truck."

"A feat only you could manage," he smiled, though it faded as he continued. "The police didn't mention anything about someone on the road."

"Well .." Could I lie? To those eyes? Not a chance in hell.

"I didn't mention it to them," I said, tearing my gaze away from his. It was a lot easier to think clearly when I wasn't looking at him.

"Because?"

"It was more of an animal," I explained, vaguely. "At the time, at least."

That seemed to work because he went quiet, and I risked looking back to him.

"Let me get this straight," Edward said, confusion and – if I wasn't mistaken, which I rarely was when it came to Edward – some anger. "You're in hospital; your truck is in a state of disrepair, because you swerved to avoid a werewolf?"

"Maybe," I said, thumping my head softly into my pillow and looking to the ceiling.

"Bella, that is the most .. _honestly_!"

And I was supposed to be the incoherent one?

"You really think your truck could have done much damage to one of them? Instead, you decided to risk your own life to save an animal."

Yeah, he was definitely angry, but so was I.

"It wasn't an animal! It could have been Jacob!" I argued.

"It's the same thing," he said, his tone somewhat bitter as I began to sit up. I wasn't in the mood to listen to his protests at how I needed to rest; instead I tugged my hand from his grasp and pushed myself up on the bed. It wasn't the best idea; my head was having its own personal party at the rest of my body's convenience.

"You can't talk about him like that, Edward," I said, though I knew that in another environment he wouldn't let such words fall from his lips. I had scared him, I knew that; I would have been the same if I'd seen his car 'wrapped around a tree' – even there would have been little to worry about with his healing techniques.

"Bella, I saw your truck and ..," he reached for my hand and I didn't protest. "I suppose I should have put more faith in the old girl, right?" and he forced a smile. At least he was trying to put the disagreement to the back of his mind.

"I'm alright - _promise_," I said, for what seemed to be for the hundredth time but I didn't let that show in my voice. He was here, I was still breathing and that was all that mattered. If I thought of it that way, and not the way that involved going to see my poor, shattered baby on the side of the road, I could just manage to think positively.

"Look," I said, and to prove my point I stretched my arms out either side of me, lifted my legs as far as the bed linen would allow and then touched my nose – it seemed like the right thing to do, seeing as all those cop dramas ask the drunks to do that. To the onlooker I looked a tad ridiculous; I probably looked ridiculous to Edward, but he just grinned and managed to catch me, _again_, as I began to fall a little further to the left than I had planned.

"I believe you," he said, though I knew he was only trying to appease me and probably save me the pain of falling out of the bed.

He was very close at the moment, though, so I didn't really care whether or not he thought I was fair; important things tended to disappear from my mind when I was this close to him. I was fine when I was with him, a fact that was well publicised after he came back. Of course, we still had our disagreements. We had still been bickering over what was going to happen at my graduation - whether or not he'd be willing to turn me, or whether Carlisle had to do it. There was also the topic which I had banned from any conversation, which started with an 'M' and ended with 'arriage'. It was a moot point between us, or at least that's how Edward would describe it – I would have said it was more like we were between a rock and a hard place, though he made that a bearable existence simply with his presence.

That stuff didn't really matter at the moment, because he was gently tracing his fingers down the side of my face. It really was an awkward position – half my body in the bed and the rest of it falling against his hard chest, but it didn't matter. I was comfortable like this; the coolness of his body was much appreciated. I was more concerned about whether my recent 'blood spill' had made it more difficult for him, but he seemed relatively controlled. His eyes were that light shade of amber from his most recent hunt, and I supposed the disinfectant in the wound masked that scent – I know I couldn't smell the blood anymore, even if he said that blood didn't have a scent to the regular human.

His fingers lingered on the side of my face, passed tentatively down the side of my cheek and traced my bottom lip lightly. At this point I was pretty useless; one arm remained jammed between my body and his, and the other was across my stomach. I didn't mind this extra bit of attention – who wouldn't? Instead I closed my eyes, for the briefest of moments, and then I felt his lips pressed lightly to mine; his hand pressed lightly to my neck, picking up the increased rate of my pulse. I could tell he was trying to be careful, more than usual, just in case I was keeping back some fatal injury from him. As I kissed him back, he seemed to realise that perhaps I was telling the truth, as he grinned into the kiss. Of course, there was the inevitable moment of me getting 'too' into the kiss; my formerly useless arm seemed to gather some life and wrapped itself around his neck. Edward, being the more self-controlled, pulled away, much to my dismay.

"Can't you behave yourself?" he chuckled softly.

"Really, what's the worse that could happen?" I joked, still slightly dazed.

"Hmm, let's think that through," he said, slightly sarcastic though in good humour.

"You lose it a bit and bite me - that's win-win," I grinned. "It wouldn't be planned, and I'd be all shiny and immortal." Even though I knew I was on thin ice when it came to joking about such things, I knew I could _possibly_ get away with the comments from a hospital bed – you couldn't get angry at a supposed ill person.

I was right, of course. He simply rolled his eyes at me and decided to turn the conversation around; he was getting pretty good at doing that, though most of the time I could see what he was doing and decided to play along with it for the fun of it.

"You know, that's just reminded me of something," he said, a smug look of satisfaction on his face. "You don't have a car – one that's capable to run, that is."

"Are you trying to rub it in?" I said while quirking a brow.

"I now have the incentive to buy you a new car, and you can't really argue with it. You need a car, especially if you're off to college next year," he explained, though spoke quickly as if he saw my interruption about college entering the conversation. "A nice little car – a _modern_ car, with a decent stereo and mileage. Now that's what you call 'win-win'."

I didn't want a new car; I wanted my truck, in one piece … all red and stable. There was no way I was cheating on my truck with a new model, not when I wasn't positive there wasn't anything that could be done to it. It was in a bit of a mess – a lot of a mess, actually – but surely something could be done to it? He seemed to read my mind, and if I knew most definitely that he couldn't, I would have accused him of such a thing.

"Bella, you can not drive that truck," Edward said, as if the answer was so obvious and I had missed it. "Your dad is sending it off for scraps from the sounds of it. Will you just let me buy you a car?"

"No!"

How could Charlie just send my car off, without my say so? The poor thing was going to be torn apart even more!

"I want my truck. It can't have been that bad, surely," I argued, but he didn't seem to pay all that much attention – I didn't expect him to, he could never understand my love for the thing when he changed his car whenever a new fancy came onto the market. This was about loyalty and friendship, and there was no way I was cashing in and having a Volvo! I wasn't going to be a stupid, shiny Volvo owner, thank you very much.

"There's nothing that can be done," Edward said, a little exasperated. "You know most people in their right mind would jump at the chance to have a new car?"

"Well, I'm either not like most people or not in my right mind," I answered.

"No, you're definitely not," he said, smiling softly. "On both accounts."


	2. Chapter 2

**Of love and friendship**

**About:** Bella loses something important.  
**Ship: **Edward/Bella  
**Genre:** Fluffy  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Author notes: **Quite a long chapter ahead, but hopefully it keeps you entertained! Thank you to everyone who reviewed xD Reviews are the quick way to my heart, lol 3 I've also added some links at the end (it'll make sense once you've read this!)  
**Disclaimer:** I'm not Stephenie Meyer. I don't own the series. I don't want to get sued. Just a random fan-girl who likes Edward and Jacob.

**Chapter Two: Hard to please**

_"A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!"  
--From King Richard III (V, iv, 7)_

We were about to leave the hospital, after telling everyone I was perfectly capable of walking upright, though Carlisle was the only one to take me seriously. Charlie wanted me to stay over for observation, but Carlisle had assured everyone – Charlie, several times over – that the wound was superficial. He even said that if I did feel any dizziness, though unlikely, that he would be more than happy to see me in a few more hours. I could understand the concern; he was my dad and was supposed to act all irrational when I'd been hurt, but all I really wanted was to get out of the sterile environment, away from the surveying eyes and perhaps even finish my English paper. I know thinking about homework after a near fatal accident wasn't exactly in the handbook of things to do after such a mishap, but I didn't like the idea of leaving it unfinished when I was enjoying the debate.

We were almost out the door when I was thanking my lucky stars that Charlie was finally seeing sense, but I had thanked them far too soon.

"Don't worry, Bella," he said while leaving the room. "We'll find you a good replacement."

I didn't even have to look at Charlie to guess his reaction. He was livid. The idea of me getting back into a car so soon seemed to bring the paternal instincts to the surface. Though I agreed that Emmett had a point – not that I was ever going to accept a car paid with by Cullen money – it wasn't exactly the best time to bring it up.

"A nice _safe_ car," Emmett added, his grin fading from the looks on everyone's faces – you had to appreciate the way he could change a mood. "One that could take down a tre-"

"Emmett," Edward interrupted.

In a few days I'd probably find it amusing, but I really didn't want a lecture from Charlie when I got home. I was thankful that Edward managed to cut him off, before he started talking about statistical deaths of certain models. I did want to drive again, after all.

After a few more moments of awkward silence, Edward approached me, not really paying too much attention to Charlie – or at least it seemed that way to the onlooker. There was no chance of anything really affectionate, seeing as my dad was standing inches away from us; he still wasn't a huge fan of someone who had whisked me off to Italy – even if that wasn't how it actually happened. He squeezed my hand and gave me that half-crooked smile that I loved so much, and with that he decided to take his brother away before any more damage could be done to my future driving privileges.

The drive home was tense. It was if my accident had made Charlie more cautious; the drive took us twice as long as it usually would, but I could appreciate his reasoning behind it. The truth was that I wasn't exactly shook up about it; I was more devastated about losing my truck than the cut on my forehead. It had been a gut reflex, one where I was trying to save the life of someone on the road. I had known as soon as I had seen the large creature that it wasn't something the police officers of Forks would be at all familiar with. Edward may have thought me stupid for 'risking my life' for a sworn enemy, but since when did 'sense' after get considered when acting impulsively? Anyway, werewolves weren't _my_ enemies .. and I wouldn't even say Edward's - I suppose I would never understand their silly traditions and ancient vendettas. It didn't make much difference at the end of the day, though. I couldn't tell Charlie the real reason behind the accident, so he would just assume that it was down to my bad judgement (which Edward would have agreed with). The men in my life had so little faith in-

"You're not driving another car," Charlie said, finally breaking the silence and cutting off my trail of thought. "Especially one of those cars those Cullen boys have. Fast, showy .. _dangerous_." He muttered the last bit to himself.

At least I agreed with him on that case. Didn't he realise that I'd been in Edward's car hundreds of time? I decided not to press that matter.

"You can't stop me driving, dad," I replied as we pulled into the driveway. It had started raining, though that wasn't new, and I pulled my jacket a little tighter around myself to prepare for the onslaught of bad weather.

"You can't aff-"

"I know I can't," I said defiantly. "I'll just have to save, okay? Anyway, the only car I want happens to be either thrown across a road, stuck in a famous tree – which, I'm sure, only Forks could boast such a thing," I continued, allowing the pent up frustration out, "or shattered across the rest of the forest. You don't have to worry about it."

"Yes, I do," Charlie said, heaving a sigh as he made his way out of the car and entered the house. I made a mad dash in pursuit, though not nearly as graceful as I had hoped, and stumbled into the door.

The evening passed rather uneventfully. Charlie was unwilling to allow me to cook after I'd been 'in an accident' – a phrase that was increasingly beginning to get on my nerves – and so we feasted on hard pasta and a dodgy looking sauce. I managed to get away with not eating too much by saying I wasn't really hungry, and as I made my way up the stairs I could have sworn I saw him bin all of it and reach for a slice of left-over pizza. I didn't feel too guilty after seeing that.

I made my way to the bathroom and grimaced slightly at how sallow my skin looked. Over the past few months I had come to realise that the climate didn't really do much for me, but I was used to the surroundings now and it wasn't as if I could look my best, what with the loss of blood and shock. After brushing my teeth and getting into my pyjamas – the comfy pair rather than the nice looking ones – I headed back to my room, hoping that inspiration would hit me and I'd be able to finish the rest of my paper.

"Now .. where did I put it?"

It was _supposed_ to be on the desk, where I kept every other piece of work and required reading. There was a system, though not incredibly neat, but a system nonetheless. Recreational reading was on the shelves; leisurely reading that also happened to be educational was on another shelf, and the purely educational stuff happened to be stacked unceremoniously on my wooden desk.

"Must you always be so quick to defend Romeo?" came that oh-so-familiar voice. I jumped, turned around sharply and shot him a look that was along the lines of: you-shouldn't-sneak-up-on-clumsy-people-like-that! He had found my essay and was obviously taking immense satisfaction of it glorying the leading man.

"I thought you said you weren't going to criticise one of my favourite characters anymore?" I responded, still trying to recover from his presence. I could get used to it when the meetings were gradual, but when he popped up like that my heart decided that my head didn't need all that much blood.

"Force of habit," he said, walking over to me and placing a kiss to my forehead. "You have the entire world of Shakespeare and you pick Romeo as your favourite?"

I wasn't in the mood to debate my love for Romeo, especially when one of the reasons was down to when Edward spent an entire movie reading Romeo's lines to me – he wouldn't have appreciated the comparison. Instead I leaned into his embrace for a few moments, before pulling away a suddenly. _The door._ However, when I looked the door was securely in the frame, which undoubtedly was down to Edward's reflexes. It was also at that time when I realised I had my 'not for Edward's eyes' pyjamas on, and I frowned up at him.

"You're not supposed to see me like this," I said, my eyes searching around the room for my 'girly' ones, though it was rather difficult when I was standing with his arms around me.

"Excuse me?" he said, amused a little while pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "Human minute?"

"I would if I knew where they were," I said, a little disgruntled. He had said he liked the blue ones – apparently I had the right skin tone for them and I needed all the help I could get in his company.

"Bella, you're not messing around with your human issues," Edward said, his arms tightening around me as he lifted me up and moved us to the bed. "It's late, you need rest and you look lovely as you are – more than lovely, actually."

Perhaps the day was starting to catch up on me .. just a little, anyway. It didn't mean I had to accept his compliments, not when I looked more ordinary than I usually did.

He pulled the sheet over and settled himself behind me, his arm draping over my smaller frame protectively. I moved my hand to rest over his cooler one, while he moved to place soft kisses to the side of my neck. Delicate and tender - enough to lure me into the land of dreams. With his voice reaching my ears as a soft melody - the lullaby he had written me – sleep took control of my senses, as the part of me that longed to hear more from him clung to consciousness. It was a fruitless fight, however, as the night always won.

When I woke I had hoped he would have still been there – I sort of expected it, actually. He had a left a note on the side of my pillow, along with an origami rose. He was just full of surprises.

_My Bella,_

_I had to leave early to sort out a few things out.  
It's a good thing, too, as Charlie checked up on  
you as I was just heading out the window – don't  
worry, he didn't notice._

_I'll see you this evening, and I ask that you  
don't make any plans. I need you free and  
would appreciate if you had an  
open mind when I next see you._

_Yours as always,  
Edward_

Open-mind? That could only mean one thing; I knew I wouldn't be able to fulfil his request.

The day past relatively quick, though it was probably down to the fact that I wasn't enjoying the prospect that awaited. Seeing Edward was a highlight, it always was, but if he drove up in a new car ... well, I hated the idea of leaving him on the doorstep. It wasn't a presumption - I just knew how his mind worked (most of the time). He wouldn't settle until he had me in a Volvo, that much I was certain of.

At six o'clock on the dot, there was a knock at the door and I didn't have to worry about beating Charlie to the door – he was working late, something he seemed to be doing a lot of lately. There Edward was, with all the perfect casualness of a runway model, and for a moment I forgot all about the concept of being inside a metal tin with wheels.

"Open-minded?"

"Edward, you're a vampire, how much more open-minded can I get?" I replied, and managed to tear my gaze away from him to check the scene behind, but he moved.

"Just promise me you'll at least give it a try?"

Please, _no_.

There was something blue, and shiny and _new_ parked in my truck's home – sorry, previous home. It was something you saw and expected to see a chafer; it was a car where you had a valet park it for you. That's how fancy and standout-ish it looked. I, Bella Swan, did not like to stand out, and Edward Cullen knew that only too well.

"It's a 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class," Edward said, as I took a few steps from the porch and stopped motionless. "Really safe – one of the safest on the market, so I don't think Charlie will mind all that much."

Did he honestly expect me to drive to school in this thing? Did he expect me to drive _anywhere _in this fancy, expensive car?

"What do you think?" The moment of truth.

"It's expensive," was about all I could muster.

"Bella, if this is only about the money," he started, but I knew I had to cut him off at the source.

"It's a part of it, yes," I replied, while looking to the car. It already had dust marks all over it – Forks was not a place for something this classy, and I certainly wasn't the right person to have behind the wheel. It wasn't me and it couldn't even come close to the truck.

"It's a really safe car!"

"It's noticeable," I argued. "It looks all classy and .. _new_." I really knew how to put an argument forward.

"New cars tend to have that going for them - it's sort of expected," Edward replied, and I couldn't decide whether he was annoyed with my stubbornness or frustrated at how I was reacting. Most girls would have snatched the keys and had them in the ignition by now, but I couldn't do that – I couldn't accept something so extravagant and un-Bella-like, and I honestly didn't know why he couldn't see that.

"I appreciate the thought .."

"But you can't accept it?"

"No," I said. "At least you didn't go to the trouble of sticking a bow on it." Too soon to joke about it?

"Would that have made you take the car?" he said, grinning softly.

"It may have given me more incentive – it's harder to say no to a bow," I joked, and was thankful that he wasn't too cut up about it. "I'm not in desperate need for a replacement, you know? I don't _need_ one."

"You really loved that truck, didn't you?"

It was silly but true. I hadn't even had it in me to go back to the scene of the crash because I didn't want to have to see the damage I had done to him – yes, he was a boy truck. Charlie had thought it was due to trauma, that seeing half a tree mown down would have sent me into shock – to be honest, I couldn't give two hoots about that stupid tree because I was firmly in the mindset that said famous tree was at fault. I also hadn't gone back because of what I had seen on the road – it reminded me too much of Jacob and the friendship I had lost.

"Just don't go spending any more money on cars for me," I warned, but I could tell he wasn't going to take any notice. Even as he bent down to place a chaste kiss to my lips, I could just imagine what sort of cars were running through his mind. I didn't know whether to feel offended at that idea, but he was already driving off in the car when it crossed my mind. His kisses had a way of making me temporarily useless – probably due to the lack of oxygen to my brain.

I saw him the next day when he picked me up for school, and there was no mention of cars or anything road related. It wasn't until we pulled up into the parking lot that something seemed a bit off. Alice and Emmett were standing next to Rosalie's car, grinning widely and whispering amongst each other.

"What are you two doing here?" I asked, obviously curious at what a high school graduate would need to be at the place before nine a.m.

"You've not told her?"

"I'm not involved with this little plan," Edward said, turning his attention to me. "_Honestly_." I knew to take his word for it.

"Well?" I asked, and Emmett's face seemed to become more enthused at the prospect of explaining.

"We've got a bet going on," he said, as if that explained anything.

"_They_ have a bet going on," Edward corrected.

"Just because you're already losing," Alice grinned, leaning against the red car.

"Isn't it a bit pointless to bet against you?" I asked, though Alice just shrugged her shoulders.

"There's a few possible outcomes," she said, in that mystic way that made me think about what (or who) was in control of my life.

"What sort of bet?" I interrupted, before anyone could ask Alice further about what _could_ happen.

"You need a car - who better to find you one than us?" Emmett said, folding his arms across his chest.

This _wasn't _happening. They couldn't all go out and find me a car!

"I refuse to let you," I finally said, quirking a brow and then looking helplessly to Edward. I wasn't exactly an intimidating force, after all.

"I'm on your side-"

"Because you're losing," was muttered faintly in the background.

"Like I said," Edward said, ignoring what was said. "I tried to tell them you weren't interested, but they're pretty adamant to get you driving again. They're bored and need a project, obviously."

"It's about helping Bella," Emmett finished. "And I'm up first – well, _second_," he added, smirking in Edward's direction. "See you tonight," he said with a wink.

Emmett had already seated himself behind the wheel of Rosalie's car, and my argument was lost to the purr of the engine. Alice had sauntered off gracefully through the crowd, and Edward was tugging on my hand softly to signal our next class. Why was I always the ignored damsel in these situations?

The day ended with a confusing lesson on algebra, and I was called on twice to give the wrong answer. The day really was turning out so well, and I had to look forward to more car discussion. The guilt had been laid on – sort of – by Edward as he said it would have been rude to not turn up when Emmett was obviously enjoying himself with the car searching. Plus, I knew he'd turn up on my front door if I didn't go to the Cullens, and I didn't fancy trying to explain it to Charlie – I couldn't see the car being all that sensible, after all. I just hoped Emmett at least toned it down a little … though the more extravagant, the easier it would be to turn it down. Really, I didn't have a clue what to expect or to say to any of it.

Edward and I drove back to his house and he was obviously trying his best to distract me, perhaps even lighten the mood so that I'd be more open to the idea of a new car. It wasn't going to happen; I wasn't going to accept something as pricey as a car.

When we pulled up, he turned his attention to me and simply watched me for a few moments. I couldn't complain – I had a pretty good view.

"Don't feel obligated to take it," Edward said. "Just be truthful about it."

"Don't worry," I said. "You won't be in last place _alone._"

He just shook his head at me and made his way around to my door. I was used to going straight to the front door, so I found it odd going down the side of the house. The garden stretched out all around, and I didn't dare think just how big the place truly was. It was like a small orchard near the back, and I craned my neck to see a little further. Edward found this highly amusing, though promised that he'd take me up there soon.

The tranquil moment was broken by the roar of an engine – a proper, loud, earth-shattering sort of a roar. I looked to Edward, then to the garage that we ended up at. Emmett coughing loudly and Alice yelling something, but I couldn't be sure on the specifics because of the car.

"Tell me this is where you keep _your_ car," I said, but at that moment the door flung open, smoke billowing out and Alice making a dash.

"_Just let me do it, _he said," Alice said through coughs. "_I know what I'm doing – _sure looks like it, too! I told you to read the instructions._"_

It took them a moment to realise that we were looking to them, slightly taken aback though a little amused at the sight of Emmett covered in oil.

"I don't need any instructions!"

"Is the smoke an optional extra? If it is, I'd like to opt out of that one," Alice said, rubbing down her clothes and ruffling her hair. Even covered in dust and oil, she still looked pretty and graceful – where was the fairness in that?

"Is that .."

"No, Bella," Emmett said, while motioning to my left. "Yours is in the other garage."

There was more than one garage? I didn't know why I was surprised at this, what with the large fortune and love for cars.

We turned into what looked like a large shed, with two double doors that opened to reveal something red. It was sort of a rustic red, very much like the truck, and my heart skipped a beat. Had they found a truck? When the doors were fully open, and I saw what the car was, my mouth actually fell open.

"1955 Cadillac El Dorado," Emmett said, beaming with joy. "A beauty."

It was a convertible and wasn't new, but boy was it showy. Edward had probably told him about my jibe about new cars, and I didn't know what was worse - the brand new, smaller car or the traditional, rustic Cadillac that belonged in some sort of musical.

".. Edward, he can't be serious," I said, just when Emmett was out of earshot and well under the car.

"Hey, take it up with him. You didn't like my choice – it was too showy."

"I take back the showy comment," I replied, completely at a loss of what I would say to Emmett.

"It's red and _old_," Emmett said, his voice muffled as he tinkered with whatever need tinkering with. "It's sturdy, too. Probably not as sturdy as your truck, but I'm pretty sure it could take down a tree. I'll test that out, if you like."

"You're going to purposely crash it?" Alice said, shaking her head at the monstrosity of a car. At least she could understand where I was coming from, though that could have been down to the fact she liked her cars new, fast and brightly coloured.

"Only if Bella wants me to," he responded, moving from under the car with even more oil on his white vest.

"No .. that's alright," I said, a little confused at his statement. I just hoped he was joking. "Seems a bit .. well, it rains a lot here, so I wouldn't get much use out of a convertible."

That was a perfectly reasonable excuse, though Edward didn't help when he coughed back a chuckle. I shot him a look that said he wasn't helping with this situation, but luckily Alice jumped in to save me.

"She's got a point, you know," Alice said, frowning at the car and then looking back to me. "Ready for your third choice?"

Ergh. Did I really have to insult the entire Cullen family in one day? I wondered whether they'd bring Carlisle out for me to kick or Esme out for me to ridicule.

I followed, if only to get away from the car and Emmett's face. He didn't seem too upset about it, and when I turned to look back I saw him – and Edward – messing under the bonnet of the car. He'd find a good use for it.

The next garage seemed a lot more professional; it even had a door that opened with the touch of a button. It was also a lot bigger than the others, and we had to walk in a few yards before we saw the car. A yellow Porsche.

_Seriously!?_

"No?" Alice asked.

I just gave her another look.

"Really?" her tone growing more excited. Now I was a little confused. She seemed happy at the prospect of me turning down the car. "I was hoping you'd say no," she continued. "I just wanted a reason for Edward to cough up the cash before my birthday. I have a new found respect for your influence on him, by the way."

I couldn't help but laugh, and I was thankful at the fact she didn't actually plan to put me behind the wheel of such a powerful car. That would have been just a little reckless on her part, though I probably could have taken down several trees at once with such a fast vehicle.

When Edward walked in and saw the Porsche, it took him a moment to put it all together. I had to give him credit – he worked it out a lot faster than I did.

"Receipt?" he said.

"Expect it in the mail," she laughed, making her out of the garage, muttering something about a telephone call on the horizon.

"Three Cullens have tried, and all three have failed at your hands," Edward said as we made our way back to the car. "You really are a hard woman to please."

"_Technically_, Alice didn't fail," I mused. "She just wasn't playing by your rules – you've got to respect that."

"We still haven't found you a car, though," he said as we approached a different car to the one we came in. At my confused expression he said, "I fancied a bit of a change; Rosalie won't mind." It was red car that seemed to get a lot of male attention, though I had put that down to Rosalie being behind the wheel.

"I don't need one, Edward," I said, exasperation coating my tone.

He was still standing with the door open, but crouched down to make eye contact with me. I turned in my seat so that my legs were hanging out of the car, and I placed my hands on either side of his shoulders.

"Please, will you just accept that?" I said, as he placed his hands on my waist. I had nice view into his eyes, which were a dark golden shade and it showed that he would be off soon for a hunt.

"I'm just trying to help," Edward said, his warm, sweet breath basking over my face. It was very calming, though made me oblivious to the details of any conversation. He usually did this when he was trying to distract me, though I wouldn't realise this until my mind was clear and I was alone in my room.

His lips were on mine and my eyes fluttered close in response. As usual I went into 'overreact' mode, but it wasn't as if I could control it. The cold, smooth lips against mine .. it really was enough to have me accept any car he wheeled in front of me. As long as he didn't stop, I'd bend to his will, but when my arms tightened around my neck and I tried to pull him closer, he made the first move to pull away.

"I'll have the yellow one," I said, a little dazed and he just laughed while placing another kiss to my forehead.

The drive back was a fast one, though it always was with him. What was surprising, however, was the _thing_ parked in my driveway. Charlie wasn't home, so it definitely wasn't his. This had Edward written all over it (not literally, of course).

"It's a Volvo."

"And?"

"It's a matter of principle!" I said, scrunching up my nose at the car. The truck would be proud, though it had to have been broken down into several hundred pieces by now .. heck, the parts could end up in a Volvo.

"It's silver and it's _not_ new!" Edward defended.

"It's a Volvo."

"It's a perfectly safe car, Bella."

This could not be happening.

"Edward, what part of 'it's a Volvo' is not registering?" I said, incredulously.

"The part that means owning a Volvo is a bad thing," he replied, obviously confused.

How could he not realise that I was not a Volvo sort of person? Hadn't I made enough jibes about his car, every time he made one about mine?

"It's a mid-life crisis car," I responded, as if my logic made perfect sense – which it did, at least in my head.

"Come again?" He looked so very confused at this point.

"Heck, they're _all _mid-life crisis cars," I said, while getting out of the car and standing firmly by Rosalie's. "They're shiny, new – meaning young – and have all the fancy gadgets that aren't necessary. That car is the new, twenty something girlfriend; the truck is the older, wiser and more reliable wife."

He wasn't getting it, even though I thought it made perfect sense. It may have sounded crazy, but it just seemed immoral to replace my truck, so soon and with a younger model. My truck wasn't even cold in its 'grave' yet – half the pieces were still on the road side or impaled in a tree, and here he was showing me a Volvo!

"So, if you take this car, you're the adulterous husband going through a midlife crisis?" Edward concluded.

"Exactly."

"Alright," he said, nodding his head as if in agreement. "We need to get you some help."

Just because he changed his car at any given chance!

"The Volvo is a perfect car for you," Edward sighed, and he urged me to take a closer look at it. "Like I said, it's not new and it's perfectly unnoticeable in a crowd."

"Unnoticab-wait a minute .. it's _your_ Volvo!"

"Exactly," he said, grinning. "I've not spent any money on you, so you can't use that as an excuse. And for record, I'm not taking the 'it's a Volvo' as a decent excuse either."

"And what will you drive?" I said sceptically.

"You really think I only have one car?"

_Think quick .._ I'd already exhausted the 'it's a Volvo' excuse, and I didn't have any real tread with the 'you've spent too much' because .. well, he hadn't. He was giving me his car. I was curious as to how many cars he had, but I wouldn't allow myself to get sidetracked by that – it's probably what he wanted. It didn't help when he was looking at me, smirking with satisfaction, as if I had no choice but to accept it.

I said the first thing that came into my mind - "A tree would kill that thing, along with me." Was bringing up my own demise a good idea? Not really. But was it necessary? I really had no clue; that's what you usually got when you spoke before thinking.

The smirk was wiped off his face and replaced with a mixture of frustration and slight shock at the mention.

"So you plan on running into more trees?" he said, slightly irritated.

"It depends what's on the road."

* * *

I didn't realise I couldn't post links -facepalm- If you google the car names, you'll see why Bella was so shocked xD Chapter three should be on its way!**  
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